Kim Soo Hyun pleads: “I only want to remove the 45 most sensitive and severely defamatory videos out of 2,000”
The fallout from allegations involving a minor continues to haunt Kim Soo Hyun.
According to KoreaBoo, on November 4, the 51st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing regarding a request filed by Kim Soo Hyun to remove and prohibit the posting of videos by his “arch-nemesis,” Kim Se Ui—the head of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute. Previously, in September, Kim Soo Hyun’s legal team petitioned the court to approve an injunction to take down 45 videos containing sensitive content that severely defames the actor’s reputation.

During the hearing, his legal representative stated that Kim Soo Hyun is seeking the removal of only 45 videos out of the 2,000 that his “arch-nemesis” has used to damage his reputation. “Among the approximately 2,000 videos, the 11 with the highest view counts feature private imagery of Kim Soo Hyun, accompanied by phrases alleging involvement with a minor, pornography, or perversion—as well as claims that Kim Soo Hyun was responsible for the death of Kim Sae Ron. He has requested the removal of only those 45 videos that are the most sensitive and cause the most severe damage to his reputation and public image,” the lawyer said, relaying Kim Soo Hyun’s position.

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Kim Soo Hyun has filed a court petition to have 45 videos—previously posted by the Garo Sero Institute—removed, arguing that they severely damage his reputation. Photo: Starnews.

Conversely, Kim Se Ui’s side argues that there is currently no evidence to prove that the content of the videos concerning Kim Soo Hyun—posted by the Garo Sero Institute—is false. Furthermore, they note that the matter is still being contested within the context of a separate criminal trial.

Dispatch debunks the scandal involving Kim Soo Hyun and a minor: The message “I want to hold you while we sleep” was actually sent to Kim Sae Ron by a different artist, identified as “Artist A.”

Addressing the actor’s request, the court observed: “Beyond the content specifically concerning Kim Soo Hyun, the videos requested for removal also appear to contain advertisements and other unrelated material.” Consequently, the judge advised the plaintiff, Kim Soo Hyun, to narrow the scope of his removal request to precisely identify the content that needs to be addressed.

The court also raised the following questions: “Does the fact that an individual has been indicted and detained in a criminal case constitute clear evidence that the related content is false? Can this court classify matters currently under debate in a separate criminal trial as defamatory, false information?” Nevertheless, the court emphasized that the burden of proof lies with Kim Se Ui and the Garo Sero Institute, requiring the defendants to provide evidence that the videos in question—which Kim Soo Hyun seeks to have removed—reflect the truth rather than false information.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the court directed Kim Soo Hyun’s side to finalize the scope of the videos to be removed by November 20. The parties involved must submit additional arguments and evidence by December 11, after which the court will issue a final ruling.

Kim Soo Hyun pleaded: “I only wish to have 45 of the most sensitive and severely defamatory videos removed—out of a total of 2,000.”

The court has yet to approve the actor’s request.

Previously, in June, Kim Se Ui was indicted and taken into custody on charges of disseminating false information—specifically, the claim that Kim Soo Hyun had dated the late actress Kim Sae Ron while she was still a minor. Furthermore, he alleged that the actor’s pressure to recover a debt was a contributing factor to her death. Kim Se Ui is also accused of unauthorized broadcasting of Kim Soo Hyun’s private images, as well as threatening to disclose personal information to coerce the actor into issuing a public apology.

Kim Sae Ron’s mother, an individual who posed as an aunt, and the legal representative for the late actress’s family have also been identified as accomplices. On October 26, they were indicted on charges of spreading false information to defame others, distributing illicit imagery—a violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes—and attempted coercion.

After more than a year of facing allegations that he had a romantic relationship with Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor, Kim Soo Hyun has been cleared of wrongdoing. On July 29, the Seongdong Police Station in South Korea decided not to prosecute the case against Kim Soo Hyun—who had been accused of violating the Child Welfare Act—and opted not to forward his file to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the police, their investigation focused on two key issues: whether Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron while she was under the age of 18, and whether there was any instance of exploitation or sexual abuse of a minor, as alleged by the accusers.

The investigation concluded that all allegations claiming Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor are false.

The allegations were found to be baseless. It was determined that the actor did not violate the Child Welfare Act. This conclusion by the authorities confirms that Kim Soo Hyun is innocent and did not engage in any inappropriate romantic relationship with Kim Sae Ron when she was 14 years old.

Kim Soo Hyun pleaded: “I only want to have the 45 most sensitive and severely defamatory videos removed—out of a total of 2,000.”

Kim Sae Ron’s family and Kim Se Ui—the head of the YouTube channel *Garo Sero Institute*—fabricated evidence to falsely accuse Kim Soo Hyun. They have since been arrested and indicted.

Following his exoneration, Kim Soo Hyun promptly returned to the entertainment industry; his first activity was a promotional photoshoot for the Philippine fashion brand BENCH. On August 23, he traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia, to appear on the live television special *Mahakarya RCTI 37*, celebrating the 37th anniversary of the broadcaster RCTI. The actor is also set to participate in year-end awards ceremonies, including *The Fact Music Awards* and the *Asia Artist Awards*. On September 11, he won a lawsuit against the watch brand Mido. The company had previously terminated its contract with him and filed a suit demanding the return of his 570 million KRW (approximately 10.7 billion VND) appearance fee following the controversy surrounding his personal life.